Geddert, Tim. “God’s Design and the Church.” In The Old Testament in the Life of God’s People: Essays in Honor of Elmer A. Martens. Ed. Jon Isaak, 257–67. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009. [MBBS]

Gilbert, Pierre. “The Case of the Venus Flytrap: The Argument of the Book of Job.” In The Old Testament in the Life of God’s People. Essays in Honor of Elmer A. Martens. Ed. Jon Isaak, 173–92. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009. [CMU, MBBS]

———. “The Work of Inheritance: Reflections on Receiving John Howard Yoder.” In Power and Practices: Engaging the Work of John Howard Yoder. Ed. Jeremy Bergen and Anthony Siegrest, 19–27. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2009. [CMU]

Jost, Lynn. “The Problem of Preaching the Old Testament.” In The Old Testament in the Life of God’s People: Essays in Honor of Elmer A. Martens. Ed. Jon Isaak, 87–101. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009. [MBBS]

Matties, Gordon H. “The Word Made Bitter: At the Table with Joshua, Buber, and Bakhtin.” In The Old Testament in the Life of God’s People: Essays in Honor of Elmer A. Martens. Ed. Jon Isaak, 307–32. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009. [CMU]

———. “The Politics of Adaptation: Teaching R-Rated Films on a Christian Campus.” In The Word in the English Classroom: Best Practices of Faith Integration. Ed. Jamie Dessart and Brad Gambill, 225–40. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2009. [FPU]

———. “The World Hasn’t Changed Very Much: Romantic Love in Film and Television Versions of Anne of Green Gables.” In 100 Years of Anne With an “E”: The Centennial Study of Anne of Green Gables. Ed. Holly Blackford, 105–21. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary Press, 2009. [FPU]

Abstract: As American society journeys through the postmodern transition, many churches are struggling to respond to cultural change within a fragmented generational context. The ineffectiveness of these churches in transmitting the Christian tradition to Gen Xers, the first postmodern generation, threatens their ability to sustain their witness through this period. This project advances the hypothesis that, if established churches are to sustain their witness through the postmodern transition, they must engage in a process of missional renewal that encompasses Generation X. When considered from both sociological and theological perspectives, this process must be seen as entailing a commitment to intergenerational reconciliation and justice. Theoretical foundations are explored for understanding the intergenerational praxis of the church in relation to the intergenerational praxis of society. Essential historical background is provided through explorations of the influence of modernity upon society and the influence of Christendom upon the church’s praxis. The emergence of social structures that separate the generations and their influence upon the praxis of the church also is explored. The complexities associated with the postmodern shift are important to the development of this study. Generation X is introduced as a cohort whose formative years closely approximate this period and who most fully bear the marks of its impact. Both the “marriage” of Christendom and modernity and the intergenerational dynamics of many established churches are shown to limit their ability to respond to postmodernism and, thus, to transmit their faith traditions effectively to Xers. Against this backdrop, the need for missional renewal is advanced. A case is made for the importance of including Xers in this process. In turn, intergenerational reconciliation and justice are shown to be integral dimensions of the renewal process. Finally, the “Missional Change Model” is introduced as a framework for renewal that enables the cultivation of intergenerational reconciliation and justice.